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Monday, December 12, 2016

Where to Be Merry: sweetgreen's Grand Opening Party @ PLATFORM Culver City

The Merriment: A celebration of sweetgreen's arrival to PLATFORM, a vibrant outdoor complex that comprises almost 30 permanent and temporary retail stores, eateries and other places of interests

The Location: Culver City

The Vibes: Outdoors, upscale, artistic

Good for: Families, Couples, Alone, Groups (large and small)

When-To-Go: Daily

The $$ Factor: Prices vary

The 4-1-1: The complex now sits on space that was once a car dealership

Parking Situation: Paid parking garage directly across the street

I’ll Be Back…: For all of the dining options and gorgeous landscaping!

Last week, I was invited to and attended a super fun function — the sweet green Culver City Grand Opening.

This health conscious eatery opened a new test kitchen, and to honor the occasion, threw a high-energy winter soiree. Underneath a canopy of trees on the outdoor patio, a DJ spun hip-hop classics, an open bar decked out complimentary beers and wines, and of course, tasty bite-sized samples of sweetgreen specialty dishes, like the citrus ahi tuna crudo pictured below, made their way around to hundreds of guests throughout the night.

But not only was this an evening to showcase sweetgreen; it was also a night to experience PLATFORM — a high-end, open-air retail space right off Washington Blvd. in Culver City that officially opened in Spring 2016. Here's a look at some of the shops, eateries and brands that call it home and how they also celebrated sweetgreen's new launch that night:

The Shop, which is a joint venture between designer Tom Dixon and Curve fashion specialty boutique owner Nevena Borissova, hosted a pop-up beauty bar in its breathtaking modern-meets-chic space. Underneath the glow of regal lighting fixtures and inches away from some of the most sophisticated pieces of clothing I’ve seen, ladies got glammed up with manicures, mini-makeovers and hair styling.

Aesop welcomed visitors into its store with a decadent wine and cheese spread and talked skin, hair and body regimens. They also provided complimentary take-home samples.

The star of the night sweetgreen also opened its doors, providing a sneak look at its sleek interior and giving guests a chance to purchase some of its infamous warm bowls, salads and specialty dishes, like the curry cauliflower bowl.

Other places of interest at PLATFORM include the SoulCycle headquarters and studio, the first North American flagship for the iconic optical brand Linda Farrow and a dozen other retail stores, restaurants and places of interest that in total form almost 30 permanent and temporary spaces. The only thing missing in my personal opinion (in case should anyone care), is a cute little bar to grab wine or other libations.

This was my first time checking out sweetgreen and PLATFORM, but it definitely won’t be the last.